Grouter for tractor wheels



- J. F. ROBERTS.

GROUTER FOR TRACTOR WHEELS.

ArP'ucAnoN FILED AUG-I1. 1921.

1,427,418, Patented Aug. 29, 1922..

IN VEN TOR.

A 'TToRNE Y.

jrrear JOHN F. ROBERT3, or rnnsno, onnrronnie.

, Gnournn roe raAcron wiinntsf T0 aZZ whom it may concern I Be it known that I, JOHN F. Ronnn'rsya citizen of the United Fresno, in the county of Fresno'and the State of California, have invented a new-and useful Improvement in Groutersfor Tractor Wheels, of which the following isa specification. I

My invention relates totraction wheels, and more specifically to that form of grouter the subject of my application for United States Letters Patent filed October 23, 1920, tractor wheels, Serial Number 418976, and filed Maya, 1921, grouter for a wheel, Serial Number 466427. In the inventions described in the applications filed I have broadly claimed a form of grouter hinged to the" rim of the wheel and adapted to push downward into the earth as the wheel rotates on the ground. Theobject accomplished in' the present 1nvention is the construction of a form of grouter following the'broad principle of the grouter described in my prior applications, but which is more easily assembled with the wheel and more easily removed therefrom, has less WGELIlIlg parts, and is more cheaply constructed; I accomplish'these objects by means of the device'hereinafter described, and illustrated on the accompanying drawing in which 'Figure l shows a side view of a wheel having my improved grouters attached thereto. Figure 2 is' an enlarged view of one of the grouters. a Figure 3'is a sectional view of therim of the wheel along the linens-a" in Figure 1. Figure dis a fractional view of the inside of the rim showing the expansionspring located'at a different place than shown inldigure 1. F 1gure 5 is a fractional view of the inside of the rim showing a modified form of spring which may be substituted'for the expansion spring shown in F igure 1,

' In said drawingB- represents a wheel, having a hub B1, a plurality of spokes B ,'a nd a rim B The rim is constructed with 1nside flanges G and C on opposite sides thereof. D is a completeogrouter unit. It consists of two arms 2 and 2?,each'of which terminates in a hook 3 at one end. A'bafile blade 4 is attached to the arms at theother end so that the arms 2 and 2 are on parallel planes a spaced distance apart. This space is large enough so thatthe rim'of the wheel can readily pass between them, The

States, and resident of to a position so the bafiie Specificetionof I ettcrs Patent. v v 1Pa7tx3 11'ted Aug. 29, 1922. Application filed August 17, 1921. Serial No. 492,977.

plane of the baffle blade describes an obtuse angleto the arms. Tie 5 connects arms 2 and? adjacent 'to hooks 'Upright supports 6 and 6 are attached to arms 2 and 2 near thebaifle blade l. It is preferable that upright supports 6 and 6 be parallel. Rod 7, extending tosupport 6 is pivotedtherein so that it can turn axially." One end ofrod 7 terminates with hook 7 Opposite to hook 7 is a wire key 7 adapted to hold r'od 7 within the holes 7, and 7 in upright supports 6 and 6. Onflang'esC and G I have attached a plurality of projections 8 and 8, in palrs, equidistant apart, around the flanges. In Figure 31 have shown a' sectional view of a 'pair ofsaid projections constructed of a bolt 8 which carries a bushing 8". This 'formof projection can be substituted by numerous equivalents as the sole objectf'to be accomplished is to-form a projection to function as a pivoton whiclfhookslfd can swing 'The drawing shows two endless chains 9 and 9 and a pluralityof expan} sionsprings 10and 10 @In assemblingthe grouters on the wheel thehooks 3 engage the projections 8 'and8 so' the grouter can swing freelyfthereon beyond the periphery of rim B Grouter D is'thenmovcd blade i is adjacent tothe periphery of the wheel, and the rod 'Y'i's inserted through 'theholes 7 and 7, and keyed therein with key 7*. It will be noted that when the grouter is thus assembled'with the wheel the tie 5*will act as a stop for holding the hooks3 engaged with the projections 8 and 8 when the baffle plate from upright support 6 is swung toward the periphery of the wheel,

and rod 'T will act as a stop-against the flanges and 6' when the battle swung spaced distance from the said periphery. One 'grouter isnecessary for each pair of projections; It should'also be observed that while the grouters are uniformly constructed, the rod 7 can be" inserted through the holes 7 and T with the hook 7 on eitherside of the wheel, In assembling the grouters with the wheel, the hooks are placed on dilferent sides on the grouters, as shown in Figure 4:, but as disclosed later the hooks can all be assembled on one side of the wheelfi Y When the grouters are hooked onextensions Sand 8 as described, with the rod 7 plate has alternating on two sides of the wheel, the endless chains 9 and 9 are attached to the hooks 7, the one chain on either side. If the hooks are all arranged on one side of the wheel, the chains 9 and 9 should be attached to alternate hooks or grouters. These chains are of such length that all of the grouters attached thereto are drawn and held adjacent to the periphery of the wheel except one which can swing downward when it comes in contact with the ground. The expansion springs 10 and 10? are shown attached at one end to the wheel and at the other end to the chain. The function of these springs is to yieldably pull the grout ers adjacent to the rim of the wheel. In Figure 1 I have shown these springs attached at one end to the chain between the points where it is attached to the hooks 7. This form can be modified by attaching the one end of the chain to hooks '7 as shown in Figure 4. Other forms of springs which will accomplish the purpose sought may be used as spring 1.0 shown in Figure 5. The object of the endless chains is to' positively hold all of the grouters attached to the chain, except the one functioning in the earth, adjacent to the rim of the wheel. There is a special advantage in having two chains as shown in the drawing, each chain being attached to alternating grouters, for by this means two .groute'rs can function at one time. It is also noted that in certain kinds of work the chains can be dispensed ith and the springs will normally hold the grouters adjacent to the rim of the wheel.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and ask torLetters Patent:

1. In combination with a traction wheel having a rim, a plurality of pairs of projections around said rim a spaced distance apart, the projections on each pair being on opposite sides of said rim, a grouter constructed of two arms having hooked members at one end adapted to pivotally engage said projections, and a bafile blade at the other end, said arms being tied together a spaced distance apart, which distance is not less than the width of the rim, means for limiting the movement of the grouter toward and from the rim of the wheel, and yielding means for normally holding the grouter adjacent to the rim-of the wheel, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a traction wheel having a rim and a plurality of pairs of outwardly extending projections attached to said rim equidistant apart, one projection of each pair being on each side of the rim, a grouter for each pair of projections, each groutcr being constructed of two arms having hooks at one end adapted to pivotally engage a pair of said projections, a tie connecting the arms adjacent to the hooks a spaced distance apart and parallel to each other, a baflie blade attached to the arms and connecting them at the end opposite to the hooks. upright projections adjacent to the battle blade, a rod connecting said arms near the tops thereof and adapted to form a stop against the inside of the rim. and yielding means for normally holding the baflle blade against the periphery oi the wheel substanti'ally as described.

3. In combination with a traction wheel having a rim, a plurality of pairs of outward projections around said rim a spaced distance apart, one projectionoit each pair being on each side of the rim, a plurality of grouters, each grouter consisting of two arms tied. a spaced distance apart parallel with each other, said arms, having a battle blade attached at one end and at the other end hooks adapted to pivotally engage a pair of said projections, an upright guide attached to each arm, one of which is adapted to be on each side of said rim when the grouter is assembled therewith, means for limiting the pivotal movements of the grouter, and yielding means for normally holding the battle blade against the periphery of the wheel, substantially as described.

4;. In combination with traction wheel having a rim, a plurality of pairs of outward projections around said rim equidistant apart, one projection of each pair being on each side of the rim, a plurality of grouters, each grouter constructed with two arms, having hooks at one end and a baflle blade at the other end, said arms being tied together so that the hooks on the grouter arms can pivotally engage a pair of the projections said arms being rigidly tied together, upright guides attached to the arms adapted to pass on each side of the rim as the grouter swings on said pivotal projections, an endless chain arranged on each side of the wheel to which an upright guide of alternate grouters are attached, said chain being of such length that when all of the grouters are pulled by the chain against the periphery of the wheel one grouter attached to said chain can swing on its pivot a spaced distance, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a traction wheel. having a rim, a plurality of pairs of projections extending outwardly from said rim and on opposite sides a spaced distance apart, a plurality of grouters constructed.

with two arms tied together a spaced distance apart parallel with each other, having hooks at one end adapted to pivotally engage a pair of said projections and having a bafile blade at the other set so that when the grouter is swung with the baflle blade adj acent to the periphery of the wheel the plane of the baflie blade will be approximately on line with a radius of the wheel, stop means for limiting the distance the baffle blade can be swung from theperiphery of the wheel,

Laramie and means for holding a predetermined number of the grouters with the baifie blade against the periphery of the wheel while a predetermined number of said grouters are adapted to be swung within said prescribed limits, substantially as described. I

'6. In combination with a traction wheel having a rim, a plurality of pairs of outward projections around said rim equidistant apart, one projection of each pair being on each side of the rim, a plurality of grouters, each grouter constructed with two arms, having hooks at one end and a bafiie blade at the other end, said arms being tied together so that the hooks on the grouter arms can pivotally'engage a pair of the projections said arms being rigidly tied totions, two'endless chains of uniform length attached to the grouters, the alternate grouters beingattached to different chains,

said chains being of such length that when one grouter is swung from the periphery of the wheel Within the fixed limitation, all the other grouters attached to thesarne chain will be drawn against the periphery of the wheel; substantially as described. (JOHN F. ROBERTS. 

